By Hunter Cutting
A group of commercial real estate developers proposing to convert Clipper Cove at Treasure Island into a sprawling luxury mega-marina is attempting to move forward despite running into a roadblock at a recent meeting of the State Commission for Boating and Waterways.
Clipper Cove is a large, well-protected stretch of open water tucked between the arms of Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, opening towards the East Bay. Endowed with a rare combination of steady-moderate wind, flat water, and little current, the Cove is considered a gem by local sailors, kayakers, stand-up paddlers, and others who value it as San Francisco’s largest and most valuable open-water resource.
The threat to the Cove took a step forward earlier this year when the developers pushed for action on their application for a $22-million public loan from the state’s marina loan fund program run by the State Division of Boating and Waterways (DBW).
However, advocates for the Cove turned out in force at a May hearing of DBW. Commissioners heard opposition from the Sierra Club, the US Sailing Association, and many others including the non-profit Treasure Island Sailing Center. Each year, the Sailing Center brings over 2,500 fourth graders from San Francisco public schools to the Cove, where they learn marine sciences, boating skills, and life lessons in meeting new challenges. For most of these students, coming to the Cove is their first-ever experience being on water.
At the May meeting, the Commissioners also heard from DBW staff who reported numerous issues with the loan application, including public opposition to the marina. The DBW staff report recommended a temporary loan agreement contingent on a reformulation of the marina proposal and resubmission of a new loan application for final review.
The DBW Commission declined to endorse even a temporary loan agreement, producing a major win for Cove advocates. As of press time for this article, the application sits before the state DBW director for final action.
In the meantime, advocates for the Cove, led by the Treasure Island Sailing Center, have developed two alternate scenarios for marina development in Clipper Cove. The first scenario envisions doubling the size of the current marina. This plan was developed to minimize the impact on the current use of the Cove. The second scenario would triple the size of the marina and significantly reduce the area of the Cove available for current sailors, boaters, and youth. In contrast, the developers are proposing to expand the current marina by quadrupling the number of slips in a luxury configuration and provide extensive guest docks for visiting mega-yachts, effectively closing off and converting the cove into a private marina.
The San Francisco Group of the Sierra Club’s Bay Chapter has reviewed the two scenarios developed by the Sailing Center, as well as the developers’ proposal. The Sierra Club has endorsed the minimum impact option (see image below) as the best option among the three presented for development of a marina in Clipper Cove.
As a next step, the issue will be taken up by the Treasure Island Development Authority, the directors of which are appointed by San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. Any plan will also have to pass muster with the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, and ultimately the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), which is charged with protecting the public trust interest in the San Francisco Bay.
